Electrically operated whistle



July 26, 1932. c. R. DUERS ELECTRICALLY OPERATED WHISTLE Filed Nov. 25, 1929 v f a M W 3 w z a Z Tlfi :1! M n v a m M0 M 25: a, 4 w

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gnaw nice Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE CLARENCE a. beans, or GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO DUERS SIGNALQ COMPANY, me, or GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK ELECTRIGALLY OPERATED WHISTLE Application filed November 23, 1929. Serial No. 409,278.

This invention is directed to an improvement in electrically operated signals designed more particularly for use in connection with traflic controlling lights, whereby the change of the light signals or of a particular light signal may be audibly indicated.

In controlling tratfic by signal lights, the conventional system involves a green light to indicate a go signal, a red light to indicate a stop signal, and an amber light change of signals during which tratfic is to be controlled by the immediately preceding signal. Thus, where the green signal has been superseded by the amber signal, traffic is permitted to travel in the direction of the previous green signal until the stop signal is flashed, but frequently the motorist approaching a crossing is unaware as to whether the amber signal showing is to be followed by a red or stop signal or a green or go signal, and at times there results a complication in traflic which leads to accidents or at least confusion. If an audible signal is sounded as the amber light appears which is to be followed by a stop signal, the motorist is at once advised audibly that he is attempting to cross in the face of an immediately imminent stop signal and can govern himself accordingly.

The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a unit self-cointained device which may be connected in' circuit with the amber signal, or in fact with any of the signals, to audibly sound an alarm which will indicate to the oncoming motorist a particular signalling condition.

The invention consists in providing one or more signals, preferably so constructed as to simulate in sound the ordinary traflic officers Warning signal, with these signals operated by air under pressure inagurated through the movement of a piston which in turn is actuated through the energization of a solenoid, the movable core of which is connected to the piston.

It is well understood that it has heretofore been proposed to electrically operate signals by air under pressure with the air pressure produced through electrically controlled 'panying drawing, in which: which provides a shortperiod between the 7 means, and the present invention is directed Figure 1 is a view in vertical section, partly in elevation, showing the construction of theimproved signal, the parts being shown in inoperative or normal position.

Figure 2 is a similar view taken at right angles to the section of Figure 1, with the parts shown in operative position.

' The improved signal includes a barrel casing 1, preferably of cylindrical form, to the lower end of'which is removably secured dome-like closure 2 centrally formed with a threaded offset 3 whereby the signal as a whole may be removably supported on the light signal pole or on any independent support as may be desired. A pressure chamber 4 is secured upon the upper'end'of the barrel casing 1, this pressure chamber involving a cylindrical wall preferably of greater thickness than the wall of the casing 1, with its lower end of somewhat reduced diameter, as at 5, to provide a shoulder 5 to rest upon the upper edge of the casing 1 and'a projection 6 to fit within the upper end of the casing 1. The lower end of the pressure chamber is closed by a plate 7 having an exterior 8 diameter corresponding to that of the reduced portion of the wall 4:, the plate being removably secured to the lower edge of the wall 4. Secured upon the wall 4 and closing the upper end of the pressure chamber 9 is a plate 10 on which are secured signals 11. These signals are here shown as two in number and being of the whistle type, though of course it is to be understood that the signals may be arranged in any number and constructed to produce any desired type of signal.

The signals are in communication with the pressure chamber 9 through openings 12 in the plate 10, and integral with the plate 10 100 and surroundings the signals is an annular wall 13 formed with openings 14 through which the sound waves produced by the signal are permitted to emerge. Carried by and preferably integral with the wall 13 is a sound deflector 15 in the form of a canopylike wall, the free margin of which overlies the openings 14 in spaced relation thereto and is turned downwardly, as indicated at 16.

The downturned portion of the deflector serves to direct downwardly the sound waves passing through the openings 1 to thereby render the sound distinctly audible in the immediate neighborhood of the signal without permitting any undue spreading of the signal to distant points. The signal is thus confined substantially at the crossing point tor which it is intended and practically inaudible at neighboring crossing points, thereby causing the signal to control the trafiic only at the particular crossing point at which it is located, thereby avoiding disturbance of signals at adjacent traflic points.

A hollow piston 17 is slidably mounted within the pressure chamber 9. This piston is in the form of :a flat plate having a more or less close sliding fit with the interior of the wall 4: in order that the piston may serve, when operated in one direction, to displace the air in the pressure chamber through the signals 11. As the piston is designed to return to normal or inoperative position by gravity, it is important that the tit between the piston and wall 4 of the pressure chamber avoid that frictional cooperation which would tend to retard the gravital movement of the piston to normal position.

In order to provide for this ease of movement of the piston and at the same time insure piston functions in the operative movement of the piston, the wall 4 on its inner surface and the immediately adjacent portion of the plate 7 are formed with an oilreceiving annular recess 18 of comparatively shallow depth, the inner edgeof which has :a rising wall abutment 18. The peripheral edge of the piston 17 is oflset to provide an edge flange 17 in the plane of the bottom of the piston to cooperate with the recess 18.

The narrow marginal edge of the piston proper seats in the annular channel 18 when the piston is in its lower or inoperative position and as this channel 18 serves for the reception of lubricating oil, it is apparent that as the piston rises, the peripheral edge thereof carries with it a film of oil which not only acts as an air seal between the edge of the piston and the surface of the Wall 1, but also serves to lubricate the piston in its movements and particularly aflords :a -comparatively easy descending 'move-ment vol the piston which, as stated, is under the influence of gravity of the parts alone.

The piston, of course, in its downward movement tends to wipe the oil from the inpiston and on the peripheral edge thereof which insures an eiflcient air seal and a proper lubrication of the parts for all necessary operations.

The piston is provided with a. central upstandin stem 20 and this stem is uided in a cylindrical guide 21 rising from the plate 10 and more or less accurately receiving the stem 20. The upper end of the guide 21 extends through an opening in the deflector 15, and is formed with an opening 22 in its upper end to permit the escape of-air during the upward movement of the stem, said opening 22 also serving for the admission of on the downward movement of the piston. A cap 23 is removably threaded into the opening in the upper end of the deflector to prevent the escape of the sound through such opening .and complete the appearance of the structure.

A solenoid in the form of a coil 24 and a core 25 is provided, the coil being arranged below and carried by the plate 7. The coil is preferably supported on a spool-like frame 26 which is removably lboited at 277 to the bottom of the plate 7, and the core 25 is provided with opposing bars 28 which extend through an opening 29 in the plate 7 and are hingedly connected by a pin 30 to .a boss '81 depending from the lower side of the piston 17. The opening being of suflicient diameter to permit the sliding movement of the bar-s 28 therethrough will of course provide for the reception of the boss 31 in the downward movement of the piston to thereby permit the piston to move downwardly into contact with the plate 7 at the lower limit of movement or inoperative position of said piston.

The lower end of the frame 28 is provided with a terminal 32 adapted, when the core is in lowered position and the coil dcenergized, to engage the upper end of an adjusting member 33 in the form of a screw threaded in a cross bar 34 supported at 35 at the lower end of the casing 1. The dome closure 2 may be provided with an opening through which the screw 33 is accessible for adjusting the height of the screw and thereby controlling the adjustment of the core to insure a completely responsive movement of the core in the energization of the coil. Furthermore,

this screw may be utilized to limit the downward movement ofthe core, so as to reduce the maximum stroke of the piston and thereby reduce the volume of sound of the signals, though ordinarily this adjustment is not necessary.

It will be apparent that upon energization of the coil 24-, the core 25 will'move upwardly carrying with it the piston 17 and forcing the air in the pressure chamber 9 under pressure through the signals 11. The

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sound of the signals will pass through the openings ltand be downwardly directed by the skirt 16 of the deflector 15 and thus confined within a comparatively limited area. The coremay be adjusted in its initial position relative to the coil to insure the most effective operation under the magnetic influence.

While the signal is primarily designed for use in connection with intersection traific control lights in which one of the lights, say the amber light, is in series with the signal so that the signal will sound an audible alarm at the flashing of the amber light, it will of course be appreciated that the signal is a complete, wholly contained, independent unit and as such is designed for use wherever a signal may be desired or employed where a source of electric current is available.

The signal may be supported by any appropriate base and secured thereto in any desired way and may thus be adapted to form a com ponent part of any other apparatus with which a signal is to be associated. Any type of specific signal 11 may be employedso long as the same is operated by air under pressure.

The mounting of the parts is of importance, particularly in their relative connections, as thereby extreme ease and simplicity are atforded not only in assembling the parts but in separating the same to gain convenient access to the interior for the purposes of repair and replacement.

What is claimed to be new is:

1. A self-contained signaling unit formed to provide a pressure chamber in the upper portion thereof, electrically operated means for creating pressure within said chamber, a signal chamber arranged above the pressure chamber and including an annular wall, a signal in the signal chamber and in communication with the pressure chamber to be sounded on the generation of pressure in said pressure chamber, the annular wall of the signal chamber being formed with an opening immediately adjacent the signal to form a restricted outlet for the sound waves from the signal, the signal chamber including a deflector extension projecting outwardly from the upper edge of the annular wall of the signal chamber, with the free edge of such deflector extending downwardly substantially parallel to the annular wall of the signal chamber and directly overlying the opening in the annular wall whereby the sound from the signal is directed only through the opening in the annular wall and the sound waves immediately thereafter deflected downwardly into substantial parallelism with the annular wall.

2. A self-contained signaling element including a barrel, a pressure chamber formed with the upper end of the barrel, a piston operative in the chamber, electrically operated means arranged within the barrel below the pressure chamber for operating the piston, a plate closing the upper end of the pressure chamber, signals carried by the plate and open to the pressure chamber, an annular wall rising from the plate and formed opposite each signal with a sound emitting open- 

